Comesperma volubile
Author Archives: cjccg01
Working bee: 6 & 7 April 2013 ** Late change Sat AM start point **
Weed of the month: March 2013
African Boxthorn
Lycium ferocissimum
(Boxthorn tree on anthill at Cape Jervis; close-up of berry, leaf and thorn. Photos E. Cousins)
This is a ‘weed of national significance’… meaning it is not just a problem in Cape Jervis, but across the country! Reason: it is persistence personified! A stiff shrub growing over head high, it has many branches, with leaves and sharp spikes clustered along the stems. The red berries of the boxthorn are eaten by birds and foxes; viable seeds are then excreted, and often left in the same area, leading to yet more bushes. The shrub’s spikes, growth habit, and efficient spreading of seed, mean boxthorn can grow into an impenetrable thicket, providing a haven for feral animals such as foxes and rabbits, while crowding out native plants.
Boxthorn belongs to the Solanacae family, as do tomatoes and tobacco.
To download a copy of the flyer – WEED OF THE MONTH March_boxthorn
Plant of the month: March 2013
MUNTRIES
Kunzea pomifera
Images from C. Schultz, http://malleenativeplants.com.au/more-on-kunzea-pomifera-muntries/;
http://www.yallaroo.com.au/Kunzea_pomifera.htm; E. Cousins, Sketch from It’s Blue with 5 Petals, KI Field Guide
You should see this native plant fruiting now, in the area between Fleurieu Ave and the coast. Look for small, dark red berries, on a prostrate woody shrub that can spread for more than 5 metres. The leaves are small and shiny, and the spring flowers are white and fluffy. The edible berries were enjoyed by Indigenous Australians and are now part of the native food industry. In fact, the word pomifera reflects the fact that the fruit look like miniature apples, and some taste like spicy apples.
Weed of the month: February 2013
Olive
Olea europaea
Olive oil, olives on pizza, olive tapenade, olives just to nibble on…many of us love these Mediterranean fruits and their by-products. It’s just a pity that what has been good commercially has become such a menace in our dry woodlands and adjacent, cleared land. Olive trees are long-lived, growing to 10m tall. Small white flowers in spring are followed by the fleshy seeds which darken from green to black over summer. Birds and foxes eat the fruit, spreading the seeds widely. Our dry summers, and the fact that olives grow well in most soil types, mean these seeds germinate prolifically. Tiny seedlings can be pulled by hand, but once the seedlings mature, the trees are hard to kill: just chopping them down is not sufficient, since they reshoot easily. You’ll see olives on the reserve off Fleurieu Ave, and along the coastline to Fishery’s Beach.
See the following NRM website for a fact sheet and a You Tube video on control of these pests: http://www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/Publicationsandresources/Factsheetspublications/Pestplants.aspx
To download a copy of this flyer – WEED OF THE MONTH February_olive
Plant of the month: February 2013
RUNNING POSTMAN
Kennedia prostrata
(Leaves; seed pods; flower. Photos E. Cousins)
Running Postman is a common, sun-loving ground cover around Cape Jervis. They like sandy soil, and are drought tolerant plants, so look for them off Flinders Drive, towards the Ferry Terminal. The wiry stems spread along the ground for up to 1.5 metres. Leaves occur in threes, and have wavy edges. The lovely red flowers occur singly or in pairs, in spring. Note the yellow spot at the centre. The seed pods are like long pea pods, but are dark red. They can be up to 5 cm long.
Follow link to download the flyer PLANT OF THE MONTH february_kennedia
Weed of the Month – January 2013
Plant of the Month – January 2013
Plant of the Month – December 2012
Satin Everlasting or Coast Everlasting
(Helichrysum leucopsideum)
One of our own! This native of South Australia is a perennial, growing about knee-high. Most perennial plants grow all year, but this one may die back to root stock in summer at Cape Jervis and other really dry places.
The flower heads appear in late spring to early summer, and like all everlastings, the flowers stay bright for quite a long time. The petal-like white bracts on the flowers have a satiny texture, hence its common name. These bracts spread out and bend backwards as the flowers age. The leaves are dark green on top, woolly underneath.
They like sandy or gravelly soils, dry places…and our coast. Look out for this one in the neighbourhood.
image. C. Schultz
Weed of the month – December 2012
Cyclops (Acacia cyclops)
Why cyclops? In ripe seed pods, each shiny black seed is surrounded by a ring of red, like a blood-shot eye. Cyclops was a mythical Greek giant who only had one eye. The old seed pods are really twisted…one way to identify this plant. The open pods often hang on the tree for years. The flowers are round, unlike those on Acacia longifolia ssp. sophorae, which can look similar if you only look at the leaves.
Cyclops thrives on limestone and sandy soils, and is very hardy even when exposed to salty winds. It survives these harsh conditions by growing in a dome shape, with dense foliage that often reaches to the ground. This allows soil to build up at the base, providing the plant with stability. Native to W.A., this plant is now a weed in S.A. due to its high rate of survival and its large dense spread allowing it to crowd out local plants.
Exterminate, Exterminate! This can be done by chopping at ground level – no poisoning required. Along with olive, it is a major target of our efforts at Cape Jervis.
http://www.australianseed.com/index.php/cName/australian-native-acacia/osCsid=01c0550ab08ac6df3e83487ff03b16ca; http://geographelandcarenursery.mysouthwest.com.au/Nursery%20List/Acacia%20cyclops)